This undated booking photo provided by the Washoe County jail via the Reno Gazette Journal on Friday, March 5, 2010 shows John Patrick Bedell. He was arrested about a month earlier in Reno for driving under the influence of marijuana and possessing the drug.

During that Feb. 1 arrest by Washoe sheriff’s deputies, John Patrick Bedell did not appear violent or have any weapons, according to a probable cause arrest report. He appeared so intoxicated that he nearly fell over during portions of the sobriety tests he was given. Inside Bedell’s car was a pink drug pipe with marijuana residue and three plastic containers with 2.6 ounches of marijuana, the report said.

On Feb. 5, Bedell posted $2,080 cash bail in Reno on charges of driving under the influence of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance, records show. He was given a March 2 arraignment date in Reno Justice Court and failed to appear.

AP~The man who opened fire in front of the Pentagon had a history of mental illness and had become so erratic that his parents reached out to local authorities weeks ago with a warning that he was unstable and might have a gun, authorities said Friday.
John Patrick Bedell was diagnosed as bipolar, or manic depressive, and had been in and out of treatment programs for years. His psychiatrist, J. Michael Nelson, said Bedell tried to self-medicate with marijuana, inadvertently making his symptoms more pronounced.

“Without the stabilizing medication, the symptoms of his dis-inhibition, agitation and fearfullness complicated the lack of treatment,” Nelson said.
source:

Pentagon Police Chief Richard Keevill speaks with reporters about a shooting at the Pentagon in Washington, Thursday, March 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Last evening started out pretty routine, until shortly after 6:40pm when we all heard the horrific news that an unidentified gunman had shot two police officers outside of the Pentagon. Shortly before 8 p.m. Pentagon Police Chief Richard Keevil held an impromptu press conference to answer some of the reporters and the countries questions. He explained to the anxious reporters that a gunman entered the subway entrance of the Pentagon complex and casually reached into his coat (as if reaching for his Pentagon pass), and calmly, with no words, began shooting. He explained that the gunman was attempting to enter the Pentagon complex, and was only stopped by the officers returning fire and gravely injuring the assailant. “The two officers suffered grazing wounds and were being treated in a hospital“, said Cheif Keevill.

UPDATE: Police Say John Patrick Bedell Stayed Calm During Shooting

Keevill said Bedell was “dressed in a suit and gave no indication of hostile intent, a very well-dressed individual. He was very calm, no distress. Walked directly up to the officers and engaged them.”

He also said that he may have uttered something before opening fire, but what he said was unclear at this time.

Bedell drove to Washington, D.C., from California over the past few weeks, Keevill said, adding that police have been able to trace his movements as he made his way. He parked his vehicle in a local garage; it has since been impounded and is being processed.
source:

At 9pm the alleged shooter was identified as 36-year old John Patrick Bedell. That is the point when we decided to do some digital forensic investigating on our own. At 10 pm the Associated Press reported that Bedell had died of his wounds, and that his body had been delivered to Beverly Fields, Chief of Staff of the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office.

This article is a compilation of what we discovered about John Patrick Bedell, which we shared last night with the Associated Press office in Washington, D.C. In this new digital age, it is virtually impossible not to find some details about a person’s life on the Internet. Posting as J. Patrick Bedell or JPatrick Bedell he left quite a trail to follow…

John Patrick Bedell in custody 2006

“I am determined to see that justice is served in the death of Colonel James Sabow, as a step toward establishing the truth of events such as the September 11 demolitions and institutions such as the coup regime of 1963 that maintains itself in power through the global drug trade, financial corruption, and murder, among other crimes. My work to develop information currency is an effort to create a framework for information management that uses financial markets to create the economic signals (prices) that will effect complex human actions in the real world based on specified information.

“My desire for justice led me to violate what I think is one of the most unjust laws, cannabis prohibition, by growing 16 cannabis plants on my balcony in Irvine, CA from March 2006 to June 2006. (see below)

John Patrick Bedell: Video Capture by GeoT

One desired result of my effort is (will be) billions and billions of carefully cultivated, highly valuable cannabis plants growing throughout the United States with complete security of property. I have posted the image to the right in order to illustrate the use of cannabis as a monetary system using digital financial instruments.”

John Patrick Bedell: documents from 2006 arrest in Orange County CA for Marijuana cultivation with the intent to sell and resisting arrest

Bedell’s online postings railed against the government’s enforcement of marijuana laws and included links to the his 2006 court case in Orange County, Calif., for cultivating marijuana and resisting and obstructing a arrest. We found the following court records available online:

The People of the State of California vs. John Patrick Bedell
District Attorney Case @06F08252
June 8, 2006

We here at The 44 Diaries would like to say Thank You for participating in our blog and we hope that you all have a happy holiday and a prosperous new year. We also hope that you get to spend plenty of time with the people you love the most…

Please note: We will be keeping this up all week in celebration, but will be posting political news in the top section next to ‘Home’.

Like any other Americans, the family living in the big white house on Pennsylvania avenue has traditions surrounding the holiday season as well. Sit back, and get comfortable, while we explore how Presidents have celebrated Christmas from President George Washington to President Barack Obama.

A special note of thanks goes to our friends at White House Christmas Cards, for allowing us to use some of their outstanding research material as part of this presentation. If you are interested in a more in-depth study of Christmas in the White House, we highly recommend you visit their site.

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. ~ President Calvin Coolidge

History of Christmas at the White House (1789-1849)

President George Washington and First Lady Martha (1789-1797)
President John Adams and First Lady Abigale (1797-1801)
President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
President James Madison (1809-1817)
President James Monroe and First Lady Elizabeth (1817-1825)
President John Quincy Adams and First Lady Louisa (1825-1829)
President Andrew Jackson and First Lady Rachel (1829-1837)
President Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
President William Henry Harrison and First Lady Anna (1841-1841)
President John Tyler and First Ladies Lettitia and Julia (1841-1845)
President James K. Polk and First Lady Sarah (1845-1849)
President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret (1849-1850)

History of Christmas at the White House (1850-1901)

President Millard Fillmore and First Ladies Abigail and Caroline (1850-1853)
President Franklin Pierce and First Lady Jane (1853-1857)
President James Buchanan (1857-1861)
President Abraham Lincoln and First Lady Mary (1861-1865)
President Andrew Johnson and First Lady Elizabeth (1865-1869)
President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia (1869-1877)
President Rutherford B. Hayes and First Lady Lucy (1877-1881)
President James A. Garfield and First Lady Lucretia (1881-1881)
President Chester A. Arthur and First Lady Ellen (1881-1885)
President Grover Cleveland and First Lady Francis (1885-1889, (1893-1897)
President Benjamin Harrison and First Lady Caroline and Mary (1889-1893)
President William McKinley and First Lady Ida (1897-1901)

History of Christmas at the White House (1901-1953)

President Theodore Roosevelt and First Ladies Alice and Edith (1901-1909)
President William Howard Taft and First Lady Helen (1909-1913)
President Woodrow Wilson and First Ladies Ellen and Edith (1913-1921)
President Warren G. Harding and First Lady Florence (1921-1923)
President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace (1923-1929)
President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou (1929-1933)
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor (1933-1945)
President Harry S. Truman and First Lady Bess (1945-1953)

History of Christmas at the White House (1953-1977)

President Dwight Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower (1953-1961)
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (1961-1963)
President Lyndon Johnson and First Lady Claudia (Lady Bird) (1963-1969)
President Richard Nixon and First Lady Patricia (1969-1974)
President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty (1974-1977)

History of Christmas at the White House (1977-2009)

President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalyn Carter (1977-1981)
President Ronald Regan and First Lady Nancy (1981-1989)
President George HW Bush and First Lady Barbara (1989-1993)
President William J. Clinton and First Lady Hillary (1993-2001)
President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush (2001-2008)
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama (2009- )

President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalyn 1977-1981

When Jimmy Carter decided to run for the Presidential Election of 1976, it was quite a shock to most seeing as he had very little name recognition throughout the United States. But the Democrat Georgia governor campaigned in 37 states, gave 200 speeches, and even gave a private interview to Playboy magazine. Running against President Ford, Carter won the popular vote by 2.1% and earned 57 more votes in the Electoral College. On January 20, 1977, Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th President of the United States – the first man from the Deep South to be elected President since the election of 1848.

First White House Christmas cards sent by President and Mrs. Carter in 1977

For their first Christmas in the White House in 1977, The Carters asked Harvey Moriarty, a family friend, to draw a picture of the White House for their 1977 Christmas cards. Moriarty’s drawing, done in pen and ink, featured a view of the White House South Portico from the South Lawn. Hallmark lithographed the image on deckle-edged ivory paper. The imprint read, “With best wishes from our family for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The President and Mrs. Carter.”

The extended Carter family wears personalized knit hats in this Christmas portrait.

It was suggested by the Democratic National Committee that the President send Christmas cards to campaign workers and donors to express appreciation and maintain support for the 1980 campaign. So to make certain they would have enough holiday greetings to send out, President Carter and the First Lady ordered a whopping 60,000 White House Christmas cards from Hallmark that year! The President and Mrs. Carter also commissioned Hallmark to reproduce Moriarty’s White House drawing for their Christmas gift prints. Hallmark made up 5,000 prints, which were given out to the White House staff. Each print was inscribed with the title, “The White House-1977,” and contained signatures of both the President and First Lady.

1980 White House Christmas cards from President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter

First Lady Rosalynn Carter explored a variety of holiday themes in her years at the White House. Her 1977 Blue Room tree featured painted milkweed pods, nut pods, foil and eggshell ornaments made by members of the National Association for Retarded Citizens. In 1978 Mrs. Carter decked an “antique toy” tree with Victorian dolls and miniature furniture lent by the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum. In 1979 she honored American Folk Art of the Colonial period, asking students of the Corcoran School of Art to create imaginary symbolism pieces from balsa wood, fabric and dried flowers. She revisited a Victorian theme in 1980 with dolls, hats, fans, tapestries and laces. President and Mrs. Carter were “Sunday painters” who appreciated American art. Jimmy Carter first became interested in art history as an education officer in the Navy. In time, he and Rosalynn studied the great masterpieces together, “not to become experts,” she explained, “but for enjoyment.”

President and Mrs. Carter with daughter Amy in front of The White House Christmas Tree in 1977

In 1977, a surprise gift arrived for 10-year-old Amy Carter – a red, white and blue chain saw. A young friend of Amy’s had reported that the first daughter wanted a chain saw for Christmas because “she likes the way they work.” A White House spokeswoman later clarified, “I think Amy might have said ‘train set,’ not ‘chain saw.'” Nonetheless, more chain saws arrived.

On December 18, 1980, President Carter lit his final National Christmas Tree. The tree stayed illuminated for only 417 seconds, each second symbolizing the total number of days that the American hostages were being detained in Iran. In his final Christmas greeting to the American people, the President talked about the hostage situation in Iran and the reasons why the tree was to remain unlit. At one point he said, “The hostage families asked me to do this year the same thing we did last year. And this is just to light the Star of Hope and to hold the other lights unlit until the hostages come home. And they also asked me to ask all Americans to continue to pray for the lives and safety of our hostages and for their early return to freedom…”

Christmas 1979 Statement by the President

First Daughter Amy Carter pushes the button for the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in 1979

Rosalynn and I send our warmest Christmas greetings to those of our fellow citizens who celebrate this religious holiday.

At this time of traditional joy and family festivity, as we join in thanking God for His blessings to us as a nation and as individuals, we ask that you offer a special prayer for the Americans who are being held hostage in Iran and for their families. We remember also the plight of all people, whatever their nationality, who suffer from injustice, oppression, hunger, war, or terrorism.

May this Christmas season truly be the beginning of a time of peace among nations and good will among all peoples, and may the spirit of love and caring continue from this holy season through the coming year.

~President Jimmy Carter

President Ronald Regan and First Lady Nancy 1981-1989

First Lady Nancy Reagan chose the themes for eight White House Christmas’s. Her official 1981 Blue Room tree was trimmed in ornaments lent by the Museum of American Folk Art. For all the following years, she arranged for the people of Second Genesis, a drug treatment program in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, to help decorate her trees. In 1982, they made foil paper cones and metallic snowflakes. These were reused in 1983 on a tree featuring old-fashioned toys lent by the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum. In 1984, Second Genesis fashioned ornaments out of plant material to compliment natural pieces crafted by the Brandywine Museum in Pennsylvania.

First Lady Nancy Reagan decorating the White House Christmas Tree in The Blue Room in 1981

President Ronald Reagan caught Nancy Reagan under the “kissing ball” of mistletoe that hung in the Grand Foyer in 1981. But Reagan’s allergies couldn’t handle some of the other floral arrangements, and the plants had to be exiled to spots in the White House that the president rarely visited.

For Christmas of 1985, the Reagan’s Executive Residence staff and Second Genesis made 1,500 ornaments from holiday cards sent to President Reagan in 1984. The residence staff and Second Genesis worked together for the next three holiday seasons.

Dutchman Tree Farms provided the National Christmas Tree for President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy

Christmas in Illinois, where both Ronald and Nancy Reagan grew up, was a sharp contrast to their Christmases in Washington. The President has recalled that his family never had a really fancy Christmas. During the Depression, when they couldn’t afford a Christmas tree, his mother would decorate a table or make a cardboard fireplace out of a packing box. The First Lady had fond childhood memories of her family’s old-fashioned tree decorated with all the ornaments she and her brother had made in school. Little Nancy would stay awake Christmas Eve listening for the sound of reindeer on the roof, waiting anxiously to see if she had received what she had requested in her letter to Santa.

The 2004 American President Collection Ronald Reagan Ornament

As First Lady, Nancy Reagan was much less dependent on Santa. “Christmas at the White House was truly magical,” she recalled. “The huge tree in the Blue Room was very beautiful; the trees in the East Room looked like they were standing in snow with tiny white lights on them.” President Regan sent a Christmas message to the country, “Nancy and I pray that this Christmas will be a time of hope and happiness not only for our nation but for all people of the world. Merry Christmas, and God bless you.”

President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan stand in front of the White House Christmas Tree in 1987

To share the aura of the White House at Christmas, the Reagans decided to invite young artists to paint scenes of the Executive Mansion for their cards. During the President’s first term in office, they commissioned Jamie Wyeth to paint two exterior views of the White House at Christmas; they commissioned James Steinmeyer and Mark Hampton to do non-holiday renderings of the Red Room and the Green Room, respectively. For the second term in office, they settled on one artist, Thomas William Jones, and one theme, Christmas inside the White House. In his final Christmas wish for the nation, President Regan said, “Nancy joins me in wishing all Americans a Christmas of true peace and a New Year filled with happiness and joy.”

Message on the Observance of Christmas 1988

President Regan and First Lady Nancy push the button to light the National Christmas Tree in 1988

The themes of Christmas and of coming home for the holidays have long been intertwined in song and story. There is a profound irony and lesson in this, because Christmas celebrates the coming of a Savior Who was born without a home.
There was no room at the inn for the Holy Family. Weary of travel, a young Mary close to childbirth and her carpenter husband Joseph found but the rude shelter of a stable. There was born the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace—an event on which all history would turn. Jesus would again be without a home, and more than once; on the flight to Egypt and during His public ministry, when He said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head.” From His very infancy, on, our Redeemer was reminding us that from then on we would never lack a home in Him.

First Lady Nancy Reagan and Santa aka Dom DeLuise, throw some artificial snow in the air during a press preview of White House decorations in 1987

Like the shepherds to whom the angel of the Lord appeared on the first Christmas Day, we could always say, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”
As we come home with gladness to family and friends this Christmas, let us also remember our neighbors who cannot go home themselves. Our compassion and concern this Christmas and all year long will mean much to the hospitalized, the homeless, the convalescent, the orphaned—and will surely lead us on our way to the joy and peace of Bethlehem and the Christ Child Who bids us come. For it is only in finding and living the eternal meaning of the Nativity that we can be truly happy, truly at peace, truly home.
Merry Christmas, and God bless you!~President Ronald Regan

1984 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

President George HW Bush and First Lady Barbara 1989-1993

First Lady Barbara Bush chose a theme of “family literacy” for the Blue Room tree of 1989. She had the Executive Residence staff create 80 soft-sculpture characters from literature. Tiny books completed the motif. In 1990, Mrs. Bush revisited “The Nutcracker” with little porcelain dancers. White House florists dressed the figurines, and a castle from the Land of Sweets was constructed by White House craftspeople. The Saintly Stitchers of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, joined with the staff on the “needle work” tree of 1991. They created a needlepoint village and 92 needlepoint figures for a wooden Noah’s Ark built by staff carpenters. For the 1992 tree theme of “Gift-Givers,” White House florists fashioned 88 different “gift-giving” characters.

1992 George H.W. Bush White House Christmas Card

Ever since “Poppy” Bush met Barbara Pierce at a Christmas party in December 1941, they had celebrated life together. Then, after 44 years of marriage, raising five children, losing a sixth to leukemia and moving 29 times, George and Barbara Bush relocated, with much fanfare, to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

They especially enjoyed celebrating Christmas at the White House with family and friends and the thousands of visitors who came each year to enjoy the beautiful Christmas sights and sounds with them. The First Lady added her own special touches to the holiday with her annual cherry picker ride to hang the star at the top of the National Christmas Tree, a trip she took 12 times beginning in the Reagan Administration as the wife of the Vice President.

First Lady Barbara Bush

In this photo taken Nov. 28, 1984, First Lady Barbara Bush, assisted by Joseph Riley, president of the Christmas Pageant of Peace committee, places the top ornament on the national Christmas tree on the Ellipse near the White House. In 1991, a needlepoint club of White House staff and volunteers made 1,370 needlepoint Christmas ornaments, some of which had a resemblance to the first lady. One six-inch angel was wearing a three-stranded pearl necklace and Mrs. Bush joked to reporters, “There are a lot of white-haired, fat, pearled ones.”

President and Mrs. Bush in front of the 1992 White House Christmas tree.

Despite all the White House Christmas card history that had gone before, this First Family established four “firsts” in the cards they selected and sent: the first holiday card done by a White House staff artist; the first card to showcase the Oval Office; the first card to reveal the family quarters at Christmas, and the first card depicting activities on the White House lawn during the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

President Bush left the White House after four eventful years. Upon their departure, First Lady Barbara Bush remarked, “As someone blessed with the extraordinary privilege of living here, it was a bit surprising that this house so quickly became our home…the White House must be many things to many people: repository of so much of our history, seat of government, public museum and, of course, private residence. This wonderful place fills each of these roles magnificently.”

Message on the Observance of Christmas 1989

A Christmas card from...all the George Bushes...asking to Support UNICEF, date unknown

During the beautiful and holy season of Christmas, our hearts are filled with the same wonder, gratitude, and joy that led the psalmist of old to ask, “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?” At Christmas, we, too, rejoice in the mystery of God’s love for us — love revealed through the gift of Christ’s birth.

Born into a family of a young carpenter and his wife, in a stable shared by beasts of the field, our Savior came to live among ordinary men. Yet, in time, the miraculous nature of this simple event became clear. Christ’s birth changed the course of history, bringing the light of hope to a world dwelling in the darkness of sin and death.

President Bush and First Lady Barbara ring the Salvation Army bell

Today, nearly 2,000 years later, the shining promise of that first Christmas continues to give our lives a sense of peace and purpose. Our words and deeds, when guided by the example of Christ’s life, can help others share in the joy of man’s Redemption. During Christmas, we may symbolize this spirit of giving through the exchange of presents, but it is daily acts of goodness and generosity — performed time and time again throughout the year — that hold the true meaning of this holy season. Every kind and selfless deed we perform for others can rekindle in our hearts and in our communities the light of that first Christmas.

As we gather with family and friends this season, let us recall what our Savior’s life means to the world. Let us also rededicate ourselves to sharing the love that gives greater meaning and joy to Christmas and to every moment of life.

Merry Christmas, and God bless you.

~President George HW Bush

President William J. Clinton and First Lady Hillary 1993-2001

Over her eight White House holiday seasons, First Lady Hillary Clinton showcased the talents of America’s artistic communities. Her 1993 “angels” theme coincided with “The Year of American Craft,” and the Blue Room tree was decked in 7,000 fiber, ceramic, glass, metal and wood angel ornaments. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” tree in 1994 displayed decorations by American art students. The 1995 “A Visit From St. Nicholas” tree featured pieces by architecture students and members of the American Institute of Architects. Stockings by the American Needlepoint Guild and the Embroiderers Guild of America also hung from its boughs. In 1996, woodcraft artisans and professional ballet companies helped bring “The Nutcracker” tree theme to life.

Clinton Family Portrait

For Christmas 1997, Mrs. Clinton had the National Needlework Association and the Council of Fashion Designers of American join with glass artisans on a “Santa’s Workshop” theme. In 1998, “A Winter Wonderland” united fabric artists from each state with the Knitting Guild of America and the Society of Decorative Painters. Doll makers created toy replicas of American historical figures for the 1999 “Holiday Treasures at the White House” tree. In 2000, selected ornaments from Mrs. Clinton’s past themes were featured on a “Holiday Reflections” Blue Room tree.

First Lady Hillary Clinton poses with the gingerbread house in 1994

The theme for the annual White House Christmas is a well-kept secret until early December when plans are revealed by the First Lady. This can be difficult when the nation’s best folk artists and craftsmen are anxiously awaiting the theme so they may begin designing and hand crafting ornaments for the White House tree. In 1993, artisans from each of the fifty states, territories, and the District of Columbia used a variety of quilting techniques in creating the individual panels of a green velvet tree skirt in honor of the Clinton family’s first holiday season at the White House.

The Clintons in 1999

For Christmas 1994, a beautiful 18-foot Colorado blue spruce arrived at the White House from Clinton County, Missouri. The theme that year was “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” one of the First Family’s favorite holiday songs. In 1998, Mrs. Clinton encouraged everyone to relive their holiday memories. Artists from across the country were asked to craft ornaments in the spirit of the season — from miniature snowmen to tiny skis, skates, toboggans, colorful mittens and hats — to complete the theme of a Winter Wonderland.

Going shopping at the malls, walking around and watching people always was a big part of Christmas for Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea-but one tradition not easily carried out as a First Family of the Land. Though the Clintons were all “pretty crazy … about celebrating Christmas,” according to the First Lady, the new President’s ambitious agenda for the country absorbed most of their attention. When informed that plans for the official Christmas card needed to be fully under way by May, the First Lady responded, “Being the type who’s relieved if my tree is up and decorated by Christmas Eve, I was shocked to hear this.”

The Clintons' 1995 Christmas Card

Even though planning for mistletoe and holly began during cherry blossom time, the task of choosing the design for the first official Christmas card was to present an unexpected challenge for the new administration. When the work of two artists was not accepted, and with time running short, photographer Neal Slavin came to the White House on Veterans Day to produce “instant art” depicting the President and First Lady posed before a decorated tree in the State Dining Room.

Simultaneously, the Clintons commissioned contemporary figurative artist Thomas McKnight to do the art for the second year’s card. He showed up at the White House during Christmas 1993 and took lots of photographs. His unique style was to adorn the next three official Presidential cards in his renderings of the Red Room, Blue Room and Green Room. Artist Kay Jackson pleased the Clintons with her rendition of the White House at night for the 1997 Christmas card.

First Lady Hillary Clinton with the White House with the traditional gingerbread house in 1997

The showcase piece in the State Dining Room is always the traditional gingerbread house created by the White House Pastry Chef. In 1997, the house was a sentimental favorite of the First Lady, as it is a replica of her girlhood home on Wisner Street in Park Ridge, Illinois. The two front rooms are done as they would appear in “The Night Before Christmas” the bedroom is filled with children “all snug in their beds,” and the living room is complete with “stockings hung by the chimney with care.” The gingerbread house took nearly five months to create… and of course, the entire creation is edible.

The 1993 White House gingerbread house was dubbed the “House of Socks,” in honor of the Clintons’ cat. Pastry chef Roland Mesnier outfitted the gingerbread house with 21 marzipan figures of Socks in various poses, including the cat hauling Santa’s sleigh, ice-skating, playing a “Soxaphone,” and posing as a Secret Service agent.

Clinton Grand Foyer Tree

The four large trees that flank the front door and stand between the columns in the Grand Foyer have a special theme all their own. Decorated by chefs from cooking schools across the country, they are edible examples of the line, “while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.” With marzipan, gingerbread, cookie dough, pastillage and chocolate, these culinary artists created some of this year’s most imaginative ornaments.

Also in the Grand Foyer, you will see the needlepoint “kissing ball” made by master needlepoint artist, Hyla Hurley of Washington, D.C. It is a miniature version of the tapestry which hangs in the First Family residence, and depicts the road to the White House, from the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock, via Monticello and a place called Hope.

Message on the Observance of Christmas 1996

President Clinton and First Lady Hillary at the 1996 National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony

Warm greetings to everyone celebrating Christmas.

Each year during this blessed season, the world pauses to look back across the centuries to the birth of a Child. This Child was born to poor but loving parents in the small town of Bethlehem—born into a world where few noticed His coming, except for some simple shepherds and a few wise men. He was the Son of God and the King of Kings, but He chose to come among us as servant and Savior.

Though two thousand years have passed since Jesus first walked the earth, much remains the same. Today’s world is still caught up in the challenges and cares of everyday existence, and too often we crowd God into the background of our experience. Too often we still ignore His loving presence in our lives and the precious gifts of peace and hope that He so freely offers to us all. And today, as on that first Christmas morning, He still reveals himself to the loving, the wise, and the simple of heart.

The Roanoke College Children's Choir performed at the 1996 National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony

As we gather with family and friends again this year to celebrate Christmas, let us welcome God wholeheartedly into our daily lives. Let us learn to recognize Him not only in the faces of our loved ones, but also in the faces of those who, like Jesus, are familiar with poverty, hardship, and rejection. And let us be inspired by His example to serve one another with generous hearts and open hands. In this way we will approach the dawn of a new century and a new millennium confident in God’s abundant grace and strengthened by His timeless promise of salvation.

Hillary joins me in praying that the peace and joy of this holiday season will remain with you throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas, and God bless you.~President William J. Clinton

Aaliyah Singing What Child Is This for the Clinton’s at Christmas in Washington 1998

President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura 2001-2008

Message on the Observance of Christmas 2001Christmas is a time of wonder and joy, of generosity and peace, that brings family and friends together in celebration and song. We sing old hymns and familiar carols, we show love for others in the giving of gifts, and we observe the hallowed traditions that make the season special. This year in the midst of extraordinary times, our Nation has shown the world that though there is great evil, there is a greater good. Americans have given of themselves, sacrificing to help others and showing the spirit of love and sharing that is so much a part of the Christmas season.

President Bush and the First Lady In front of the White House Christmas Tree December 2007

According to the Gospel of Luke, two thousand years ago, the savior of mankind came into the world. Christians believe that Jesus’ birth was the incarnation of God on earth, opening the door to new hope and eternal life. At Christmastime, Christians celebrate God’s love revealed to the world through Christ. And the message of Jesus is one that all Americans can embrace this holiday season–to love one another.

This Christmas we remember those who are without their loved ones. They continue to be in our hearts and prayers. May they experience peace, and may they find hope. And as we again celebrate Christ’s birth, may the glorious light of God’s goodness and love shine forth from our land.

Laura joins me in wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God’s blessings of peace be upon us and upon the world.~George W. Bush

First Lady Laura Bush introduces Christmas card artist T. Allen Lawson and his work during a media preview in 2008.

In 2001, First Lady Laura Bush chose “Home for the Holidays” as the White House Christmas tree theme. Artists from all 50 states and the District of Columbia designed model replicas of historic homes and houses of worship to hang as ornaments.

For 2002, Mrs. Bush adopted the theme of “All Creatures Great and Small.” As an animal lover, she wanted to highlight the history and importance of pets in the White House. Perched on the boughs of the official tree are finely crafted representatives of America’s favorite birds. The tree stands in the oval Blue Room, an elegant space most often honored as the official center of holiday splendor in the White House.

The White House was closed to visitors for George and Mrs. Bush’s first Christmas in the Executive Mansion. Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. changed the way many things were done in post 9/11 America.

In the Nov. 29, 2007, file photo above, an ornament honoring the Flight 93 National Monument hangs on the White House Christmas Tree during in the Blue Room at the White House during the presidency of George W. Bush.

Official 2001 Christmas Card

While the art for their first official card was already at Hallmark Cards for printing, Mrs. Bush changed her selection of a scripture verse to be incorporated in the card. The Bushes had consistently used scripture on their cards in the Governors Mansion. The verses taken from Psalm 27 read: “Thy face, Lord, do I seek: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living.”

Adrian Martinez, an artist from Downingtown, PA, was chosen to paint the interior scene that graced the Bush’s first official card. The story of his youth and how he was selected makes for interesting reading in “Season’s Greetings from the White House.” The card featured the Second Floor Corridor of the White House with Mary Cassatt’s 1908 painting, Young Mother and Two Children. Mrs. Bush selected the Psalm for the card on September 16. At Camp David, the chaplain based his sermon on the Psalm, which was outlined in the lectionary for that September Sunday.

First Lady Laura Bush, with Barney and Miss Beazley, in the 2008 Barney Cam video.

With public access to the White House more restricted in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, first lady Laura Bush sent the family’s terrier, Barney, out to prowl the building with a little camera attached to his collar in 2002. Barney Cam’s 4.5-minute video tour of the mansion decorations got 24 million views in its first day on the White House Web site and his movies became an annual feature after that.

What started out in 1953 with President Eisenhower sending out 1000 White House Christmas cards, by the 21st century, had turned into a behemoth. In 2008, President Bush and the First Lady Laura sent 2.25 million cards to friends and associates.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle 2009-

President Barack H. Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African-American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii. Obama previously served as the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008.

Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he ran for United States Senate in 2004. During the campaign, several events brought him to national attention, such as his victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary election for the United States Senator from Illinois as well as his prime-time televised keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004.

Obama began his run for the presidency in February 2007. After a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Clinton, he won his party’s nomination. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Obama is the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Please CLICK the symbol below to check out how the Obama’s are celebrating their first Christmas in the White House!

Click here!

A special note of thanks goes to our friends at White House Christmas Cards, for allowing us to use some of their outstanding research material as part of this presentation. If you are interested in a more in-depth study of Christmas in the White House, we highly recommend you visit their site.

Just click here for updated videos and photos from Christmas in Washington

TNT is going to ring in the holidays in musical style with its annual presentation of the 11th annual presentation of Christmas in Washington, premiering Sunday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Sugarland, Rob Thomas and Usher are scheduled to join host George Lopez in TNT’s spectacular holiday celebration.

“We take pride in presenting Christmas in Washington each year as we bring together musical artists from a variety of genres for a fantastic holiday concert,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president/head of programming for TNT, TBS and TCM. “This year, we’re especially thrilled to welcome a lineup of top-name performers and an equally amazing host, George Lopez. Together, they will make this a holiday celebration to remember.”

Annually attended by the President and First Lady and other Washington VIPs, Christmas in Washington is a holiday musical celebration benefiting the National Children’s Medical Center. The show was taped at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Sunday, Dec. 13. This will be the 11th presentation of Christmas in Washington by TNT, which is in its 28th year overall.

Before the show started, four little girls dressed as elves helped the first couple place a gift for the Children’s National Medical Center under a Christmas tree. President Obama deemed the quartet – Avery, age 4, Anna, age 6, Abigail, age 4, and Reagan, age 7 – “Santa’s little helpers,” and introduced each, replacing their last name with “Elf.”

Though Anna Elf (on the left), seemed unimpressed, telling the President: “I’ve never seen you before!” He responded, laughing, “I’ve never seen you before.”

The nation’s capital got in the holiday spirit Sunday night when music legends Neil Diamond and Mary J. Blige performed for President Barack Obama at the annual “Christmas in Washington” concert. The festivities, hosted by comedian George Lopez, took place at the National Building Museum and benefited the Children’s National Medical Center.

President Obama spoke of helping those in need during the holidays, as well as honoring those in the military:

“With our men and women in uniform serving far from home, in harm’s way, our fervent wish remains this season, and all seasons: Let there be peace on earth,” he said.

Diamond kicked off the concert by performing “Joy to the World” and “Winter Wonderland.” Blige wowed the crowd with “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).”

Two of the holiday songs were original numbers. Country group Sugarland performed “Gold and Green” and Rob Thomas sang “A New York Christmas.”

Near the end of the show, Lopez introduced President Obama and First Lady Michelle. The President thanked the performers and offered some holiday thoughts:

“This season we celebrate that sacred moment. The birth of a child, the message of the love we preach to the world. We are our brother’s keeper. We are our sister’s keeper. And pure in heart, we do unto others as we have them do unto us. We devote ourselves to good works. We are summoned to be peacemakers. More the 2,000 years later,that spirit still inspires us. That’s why this celebration tonight benefits Children’s National Medical Center and all the children whose lives they touch and they save.

“That’s why so many of our fellow citizens struggle during tough times. We are called upon to help neighbors in need. That’s why, with our men and women in uniform serving far from home, in harm’s way, our fervent wish remains this season, and all seasons to let there be peace on Earth. To all Americans, from our family to yours, Merry Christmas and God bless.”

After addressing the crowd, the Obamas stayed on stage with all the performers to sing carols, starting with “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” The president wiped a tear from his eye during the sing-along.

Meet the Performers

Comedian/Actor George Lopez hosted the annual event

George Lopez(Host)

George Lopez is host of TBS’s new late-night series Lopez Tonight and one of the top five highest grossing comedians in the world. His groundbreaking sitcom, George Lopez, remains a hit in syndication and helped catapult Nick at Nite to one of the top 10 cable networks. His 2009 comedy special, George Lopez: Tall, Dark and Chicano, was the highest rated stand-up special on HBO in five years. This year, Lopez received the Teen Choice Award for Favorite Comedian. Lopez’s feature film career continues to thrive as well. Next year, Lopez has three films set for release: The Spy Next Door, Valentine’s Day and Marmaduke.

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul donned a shimmery sheath while belting out her rendition of The Christmas Song.

Mary J Blige(Performer)

Mary J Blige is a nine-time Grammy-winning singer and songwriter with eight multi-platinum records and more than 40 million units sold since her 1992 debut of the modern classic What’s the 411. She has helped to redefine R&B and more importantly has been an artist that uses her gift of song to lift spirits and touch lives while bringing her heart, soul and truth to those who are willing to listen. She is loved for her passionate, chart-topping hits like “Be Without You,” “No More Drama” and “Family Affair,” all of which have made her a force in music. Blige’s new album, Stronger, is due for release on Dec. 22. As a multi-faceted mogul, Blige owns Matriarch Records, which produced the soundtrack for the heavily buzzed about film Precious – Based on the Novel Push By Sapphire, and co-owns Carol’s Daughter along with Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z. Blige has worked her celebrity in the world of philanthropy.

Neil Diamond performing Joy to the World

Neil Diamond(Performer)

Neil Diamond, whose most recent releases include A Cherry Cherry Christmas, Hot August Night NYC and the critically acclaimed #1 album Home Before Dark, has been a fixture in the music world for over four decades. This summer, CBS aired a primetime special featuring performances from his hugely popular Hot August Night NYC Live from Madison Square Garden DVD, which won the night in ratings. He has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide, with a remarkable track record of 16 Top 10 albums and 37 Top 10 singles. A Grammy-winning artist, Diamond has been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. Among his many other honors, he has received a Golden Globe® and 12 Grammy nominations, and he was named the 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year. His many chart-topping songs include “Sweet Caroline,” “I Am…I Said,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Love on the Rocks” and “America.”

Sugarlands Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush performed Gold and Green, the title track off of their new holiday album.

Sugarland(Performer)

Sugarland, the country duo comprised of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, has sold more than 8 million records since exploding onto the music scene in 2004 with Twice the Speed of Life (“Baby Girl”/“Something More”). Enjoy the Ride (“Want To”/“Settlin’”/“Stay”) quickly followed in 2006, and their third studio album, Love On The Inside (“It Happens”/“Love”/“All I Want To Do”/“Already Gone”) in July 2008, which skyrocketed them to superstardom and drew fans from all genres and critics abroad. Sugarland is credited with co-writing all tracks from all three albums and co-producing the last two. In August 2009, the duo offered thanks to their loyal fans with Live On The Inside, a CD/DVD set of live tracks, covers and footage from their tour.

Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas sang his heart out on A New York Christmas, an original tune he penned after 9/11.

Rob Thomas(Performer)

Rob Thomas is a Grammy-winning superstar who has sold more than 80 million albums and penned a remarkable string of #1 smashes, including “Her Diamonds” off his acclaimed new solo album, Cradlesong, as well as “Lonely No More,” “This Is How a Heart Breaks,” “Ever the Same,” “Streetcorner Symphony” and the Matchbox Twenty hits “Push,” “3AM,” “If You’re Gone,” “Bent,” “Disease” and “Unwell,” to name a few. In 1999, Thomas’ smash collaboration with Santana, the Thomas-penned “Smooth,” earned him three Grammys and today ranks #1 on Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Rock Songs chart and #2 on the magazine’s Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs. He has also worked with the likes of Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Marc Anthony and Bernie Taupin. In 2004, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented Thomas with its first ever Starlight Award.

Usher poses with his protege, Justin Bieber, at the Christmas in Washington holiday concert. The 15-year-old YouTube sensation was proud to sing Stevie Wonders Someday at Christmas for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Usher(Performer)

Usher, whose latest CD, Raymond v. Raymond, is due in stores Dec. 21, has achieved global superstardom as a singer, composer, producer, film and television actor, businessman and philanthropist. Since hitting the music scene in 1994, he has sold more than 40 millions albums worldwide and won countless awards and accolades, including five Grammys. His fifth album, Confessions in 2004, sold more than a million copies during its first week of release, the highest debut-week numbers ever for a male R&B artist. It went on to become the biggest selling album of the year and earned Usher three Grammys and numerous other accolades. “Yeah!,” “Burn” and “Confessions Part II” all topped the charts as Usher became the first solo artist in history to have three singles within Billboard’s Top 10 simultaneously.

Justin Bieber performs onstage during TNTs Christmas in Washington

Justin Bieber(Performer)

An old soul is the last thing you would expect to find inside Justin Bieber. But all it takes is one listen to the 15 year-old soul-singing phenomenon to realize that he is light years ahead of his manufactured pop peers. After posting dozens of homemade videos on YouTube in 2007, where the multi-talented Bieber put his impeccable spin on songs from artists like Usher, Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder, Justin racked up over 10,000,000 views purely from word of mouth.

“I started singing about three years ago,” says the Canadian native who grew up an only child in Stratford, Ontario. “I entered a local singing competition called Stratford Idol. The other people in the competition had been taking singing lessons and had vocal coaches. I wasn’t taking it too seriously at the time, I would just sing around the house. I was only 12 and I got second place.”

If you are interested in this story, please check out our Happy Holidays Special. It includes newly released videos and tons of photos from this event. 🙂